FM Droutsas holds talks with Azeri counterpart

The meeting between Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas and his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov confirmed the dynamic development of relations between the two countries, mainly in the sectors of energy and the economy.

The meeting between Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas and his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov confirmed the dynamic development of relations between the two countries, mainly in the sectors of energy and the economy.

Speaking at the joint press conference that followed, the Azeri minister stressed that the natural gas from his country is already in the Greek market with a quantity of 700 million cubic metres and "at company level we are discussing an increase in this quantity."

The Greek foreign minister reiterated Greece's strong commitment on the implementation of the ITGI (connecting pipeline between Turkey-Greece-Italy) natural gas pipeline, terming it a "mature project", while his Azeri counterpart praised the importance of Greece, as being the first country in the EU that procures natural gas directly from the Caspian, adding that from his contact with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, earlier in Friday, he has the conviction that in this relation there is a "future."

Droutsas also mentioned as being indicative of the development of relations between the two countries the dense exchange of visits at high level and announced the visit by President Karolos Papoulias to Baku in early April.

The Greek minister also made special reference to the accident with the Athens-Thessaloniki-Istanbul bus, extending his warm condolences to the families of the victims and stressing that members of the Greek consular authorities are in the region to provide every assistance.